Ribbon mechanism for type-writing machines.



- W. R. FOX. RIBBON MBGHANISM POR TYPE WRITING MACHINES. l APPLICATION FILED DML-6, 1910. V 1 ,O1 5,384. Patenneaqan. 23, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.'

Cltroznegs v y W. R. Fox. RIBBON MBGHANISM, POR'TYPE WRITING IMAGTHINBS.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 6. 1910. J

Patented Jan. 23,;'1912 .4 snzzmswmm 2.

Wi neon; 7%0@ @1.5 Y

- W. R. FOX.

RIBBON MBGHANIgM FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES. PPLITIQN FILED DBO. 6, 1910. 1,015,384. l f

Ptented .12.11.23, 19.12.

4ASHEETS-B-HEBT 3.

l 1?/ 1 Y w Q I z QV Inventos N N i/ aus-g3 W. R. FOX. RIBBON MBOHANISM ION TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 1320.6, 1910. 1,0 Patented @11.23, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET' 4.

Fi g'. 1X.

@Mmmm l PH f x atmnusf UNITED STATES PATEN T XVILLIAM R. FOX, OF GRAND RAPIDS.MICHI`GAN. r

RIBBON MECHANISM EUR TYI-EEXVRITING *'IVI'ACHINES. .I

Loir-assi.

This invention relates to improvements iii' ribbon mechanism for typevvi'iting machines. f

Tlieobjectsot' the invention are:. I `irst.-, to simplify and improve the ribbon iiiecha- Second. to .simplify and. improve tlie driving and. reverse mechanism for ribbon mechanism generally; and, =fur` ther. to organize such parts as an in den-ism generally.

pendent unitary structure for convenience in assembling. Third. to iniproveftlie spool construction. and incidentally. in improving tliespool construction. provide means Whereb v lthe spools may be readilyV detached;

Fourth. to improve the spooliaiid trip iiiecl'ianisni or lever for tripping tlie means.`

Further objects. and .objects relating to details, ivill definitely appear-=froin the detailed description to follow.

The 4objects of the invent-ion areaccoin-V plislied by. the devices and means described in thel following` specification.`

The .invention is clearly pointed out-in the claims.v

i structure vvliicli is aprefeired embodiment of the invention is clearly illustrated and detailed in the accompanying drawing. only much of a t vpevvriting machine being illustrated as as necessarv to shovv tliel relation oftlieribbon mechanism. ,In the drawing. Figure I- is a front eledefined I and ationrvieiv of a structureembodying tlief .features i` the invention, the supporting frame of a typewriter being in section. Fig.

l1I is a sectional plan vieiv, -taken on a linev corresponding to line ofFig. l, Fig. III is an enlarged tlc.:;.'; sectional elevation 'View of the drivingconnections for the rib! ponvineclianisin, taken on a line correspondlngtoline 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. Huis a de tail elevation view of the reversing pavvl and its actuating'ineans detached. s liovvingtlie relation ofthe parts. Fig. V .is a. detailsectional vievv ofthe pa\vl-iiieans. taken on a Fig. YI isa detail line 6 6 of Fig. IV. vievv of .the developed blank from which the. reversing 4spawl is tormcd. Fig. YU'is'a' detail sectional .plan View of ithe ribbon similar parts tliioiighoutfftheseve il shaft 10 vis suitablysupportedirbiiaele shaft. 12 'free to oscillat'e .iroiiis' 'Specification of Letters Patent. i PatentedJ3,23,119.12.4 Apprcatioii ined December 6. 1910l ser "i" spool, taken on a line coi-respoiiidiiieto linie" little 4arrov'vs at the endsiot ll and similar numerals offre'ference ijet't'iii'to` I :Ylt Y' Considering tjlie niiiiiera-ls 'o ffnet rence is tlie frame of the typcivritei i@ 2 is tliebase bar \vliie h"ci driving iiieclia'iiisn'i fand e-l\zte ii. l s lateral' across tl-ie machine. .resting A omtlieitype writer frame. 4 3-3 .ziie \ertical ibracletsj carrying Qtlie.'v

vertical spool shafts 4f-Tlf n .tlfieloivli ends of tliesespool shafts -t aie'be eled gea T lie leftliaiid gearis. driven eled gear G. and the.riglithandgear.i

l'hege-aijtli lby, the beveled gear i.

on tlie base 2. The gear 'i' is oiitlie'sliaitl driven by the gear 9. The.-fliait .lti'sjli'lg ff vvisesnpported in suitable brackets on tlie'; base bar '2. The beveledgeai's S z iiidfl face each other. andare a little separated.l and. between them is disposedy an ,ad'justable shiftingsliaft 172. which carries tlie b eve l,e l' l 95 driving gear 13. ivliicli ,isadaptedto ines'li first with one g'ear and x't l i,eii ivitli theo t1ier. the effect being' to drive first .tlie :itiglitl-ia'nd; spool and then the leftl'iand; spool.' 'Tli'e` spoolsare driven 'in opposite-diiedtioiis.:isoiilOO tliatf the ribbon will 'be.\v o1iiid'. froiii` .one-ff spool to tlieotlier, vuntil univoiinclfvvlieiithe shift inecl'ianisni provided shifts tliesliaft.

12 and reversesthe/gezin; The shaft l2 extends 'into'tli'ejliiibof.the1105 gear 14 which it fits.lo(iselyfii1.cl is d'riven'-, by a Vorossfpin4 15 Jtlirougli said". hub. The.-

end of the shaftV '12 is Yslotted and ifs-e`ril gaged by said crosspi in connection with the double paigl 30 hereafter to bey described, the connecting means for shitting the shaft l12 from side to side, to reverse the ribbon -driving gear.

A slotted arm 20 on the rock shaft 20 is provided for manually shifting the shaft 12y from side to side by the lever arm 20, if desired. The shaftis supported on the swinging arm 21 in the bushing 22. The arm 21 swings on the pivot 23. -This arm 21 is lformed of sheet metal and has a bifurcated guide 24 at its upper end and cooperates with a yielding locking means for the upper end of this lever. The pointed upper end of the arln 21 engages the vielding lock arm 25. The locking arm 25 is pivoted at 26 to a suitable bracket on the base bar 2,'and is urged 'yieldingly downward by a spring 27. It is notched at 28 and 29 to receive the upper end of the arm 21 to hold it yieldingly' in its extreme shifted position. It will thus be seen that, when the .shaft 12 is shifted from side to side, the upper end of the arm 21 will be engaged Aand locked yieldingly in position to hold the gear 13 in mesh with either of the gears 8 or 9, as the 'case may be. This reverse can be done manually, as above indicated. The :reverse is, however, usually done automatically. shifting pawl 30 is provided for the purpose. This pawl is pivoted at 31 on a projection of the frame bar 2, as indicated. Itis held normally in thecentral position by the spring 32, which is looped into. perforation 33 in lug 33 on base bar 2. Oppositely-pointed teeth 34 and 35 are onthe arms of the bifurcated double pawl. A downwardly-projecting arm 36 on this pawl 30 is secured to the horizontal bar 38 by suitable pivotl 37.. The opposite end of this bar 38 is carried by a link .39 which is parallel to the arm 36. The link 39 is pivoted at 40 on the frame 2, and' is connected by pivot 41 at its lower end to the bar 38. The ends of the bar 38 are bent outwardly into engaging ears 42-442, as clearly appears in Figs. I and II. It will be clear that, whenever this bar 38 is moved to the right, it will have the effect of throwing the upper arm or finger of the ,bifurcated pawl 30 downwardly, so that its tooth 34 will engage the ratchet wheel 19. As the ratchet. wheel is rotated by the spring drum and it is engaged by this pawl, the effect. will be to shift the shaft 12 toward the righthand side of the machine, throwing the gear 13 into mesh with the gear 9 and driving the ribbon shaft at that end of the machine. When the bar A double toothed spool. The ribbon spools are identical and symmetrical and opposed. The description 'of one only will suffice.

'A ing'erisl-'t is provided for contacting with one of the engaging ears 42 at the end of the said bar 38. Th linger is carried on the vert-ical trip rock-shaft 43. The arm 45 on the upper end of the'shat'tcooperates with the ribbon spool. The arm is urged into contact with the barrels of the spool by a spring 46 connected to the collar 47 and to the frame, thus putting tension upon the arm to cause it to coperate with the spool. The arm is flat, pointed, thin and curved outwardly at the end for the purpose here after described. Each spool consistsot top plate 49 and bottom plate 50. which are coupled together by the barrel 52 fitting into annular depressions 51 on the top and bot- 'tom of said barrel.

A perforation 54 is in the barrel of such form that a sharp projecting tongue is provided for engaging the end of the ribbon. The barrel 52 is formed of a blank of sheet metal. the/ends of which are a little separated. forming a slot 5th-see Figs. VII, VITI and X. The ribbon 48 is hooked onto the hook 55. and wound on -the spool', and extends across the gap'56. The end of the trip arm 45, which is slightly curved outwardly and made thin and pointed, rests against the spool barrel and its contents when the same is filled with the ribbon. the end is slight-ly outturned, itslips over the ribbon with very little friction, and yet,

being of this form and pointed, the end very ,readily engages the slot 56 when the last ,l shaft 43 to swing and carry its trip finger or arm 44 into contact with the outwardly'- turned engaging ear 42 on the swinging bar 38,- and, by this means, it. will be noted that the power stored in the spring 46 will. when the ribbon has been thus unwound. swing the bar -38 and actuate the double toothed pawl, already referred to. and reverse the ribbon winding means. is curved and flattened at its end. it slides along the ribbon very readily, 'and the ribbon is thus reversed without any noticeable strain on the ribbon mechanism. The powerful spring drum does the work of shifting as soon as the trip acts.

The center hole in the lower plate 50 of Because the arm 45 lspoo`lseachhavi-ng'a sheetmetal barrel vvith l aft'oppol les.' itt-l isnotch'ed'f'at' toreeei've these points. andfrtheuppe'r 'em this '1e-haft f extends-'init fthro'u'gh the.' hole. .in

the 'upper spoolplate i9. .vherebv the spool" can belli'ftedoiti the 'shaft or placed inpojsr tion verv readily*Without "anv :adjustment The' furtherttlnininerelv""slipping 'it onto tllie upper jentl "of the shaft. `l spool verve-ttectivetin use'.

mit vffillbe.observed that the spool is verv cheap vto `manuiafetmev. 'consisting 'of 'merelv three piet" Losh'eet metal .punched and rolled lto orin. and-this i simplev construction This i'naltes4 the produces a device `whichcooperateswvith the perfectlv, because, when the 't'hey barrel. of 'tlie spoolvervy a pears in "FrgYHg indicated bv dotted lin e.. 'any y drawnoii'iromrol'. vvo'nnd onto 'the spool. the Hn'geree acts asta bral'tei and giudefbv'` gentle ire"and1` prevents undue slack in v`the fribbon. These things malte a verv eti'ective ribbon devicet'or typewriters.

VIt'is vdesired toz-lcoinment th'atthe spool `1s adapted] iforeither vertical 'or horizontal can b esfoldonfthe'spool at the same price as theiibbon vvltliordinarv Aspools.and.it vvill 'v and s exceedinglyeffective. and. as- `Tt'is so f'i'e'heaii'rto manufacture. the ribbons' ,vhenithe ribbon being" 4not'beA necessari for the operatortovvind forv unwind ftheribbon.-4 "All the operatorneeds y to do isto insert `the spool. and. when the ribbonis` yvorn-eut.- talteout' the old spool and pntnfraz'netv; T he advantage oftlns is ver)- apparent and it very great. Having' thus *describedlthe invention. what claimed as'iievv and desired 'to secure bv Letters Patent is f 1. A' ribbon mechanism"for"tvpivriters` consisting of the combination of a pair of an open slot at the side. vielding fingers urged against lthe said barrels with vconnections to a suitable trip arranged sothat the said viielding fingers can-enter the respective elots thereof: gear means for driving said spools: a shiftable driving shaft for the said ribbon spools hearing.r a suitable gear for meshing alternately with the gears to drive the said ribbon spoolspand a shifting means with trip actuated from said yielding iingers, as specified. A

Q. In a ribbon mechanism, thecom'bination Witlra spring drum of a typewriting machine, of ribbon driving 'and' reversing spools lvvith gears connected to drive the saine; a shiftable. driving gear toalternatel)y engage the gears to drive said spools: a

driving shaft with .a flexible oint actuated from the spring drum; means `to swing the shaft from side 4te side; a ratchet Wheel sup-- ported on said shaft; a lbifurcated ratchetq means? for holtlinglt'he ornm or a'tvpevvritmemachine. o/rvertical .shafts carrying' the said rlbbon spools with' -engagethe .gearsto 'drive'the said spool @the shaft from side-tor side.

'theemptving 'of' the spools' of the finger eonformedfto Ienter the'saidnarrowl pa`\v1"""vvitli fo'p 'a'osite'lv-'pointed enfaging teeth'emln'a'cingthe aid ratchet vvhe'elto 'r act "alternatelv on; opposite y"ities thereof,

l A`paivlfvieldingly e iii` the `central posit'i on nd "a trip -op"e`rated"."" fron'r said-ribbon spfool'st-or actuating the saiddo'nble pavvl and. shitting?ittromone side! t'o` the other'on "the emptvingbtth' 2%. 'In a' ribbon drivinsct4 mecha msm. ,the 'combnratlon horizontal interniediate shaftswfor dri' the same.;y having beveled "gears` and gears to vniesh'withA ai gear on Ia :dri shaft v(fai shifting' driving gear to alternat for reversing th driving gearfvfor at. A ribbon spool' having afh'ollo containing' a narrowslotgin its'SMleHanda slot :and resting "vieldingly on the 'body of I said spool. the: inner endto'fwvhiclnfilige is pointed'and' curved"inwardly andft'henftangent-iallv and -ai'l'angedto enter 'fthe` 'elet of the said' drum'lwithoiit resistance. Whe! the ribbon is "unvfonndoas specitied.=

A ribbon spool having-a hollow ydrum containing a nacrov slot in vits side; and a finger conformed to enter the said narrow slot and resting vieldinglv onthe `bod)Y of said spool, arranged to enteixthe slot of the said drum when the ribbon is runvvonnd,

G. In a typ'evvriting machine. the com'bination of a ribbon spool `having' a hollow` ksheet metal drum vvith `a narrow slot there.- '1n; and a ltrip finger resting upon the fsaid drum and slightlv7 outcurved `toenter ythe said slot when the same is uncovered `by the nmvinding of the ribbon. coacting for the purpose specified.

7. In a ribbon mechanism ltor typewriting machines. the combination of suitable vertical ribbon *shafts*l vvith .ribbon spools inovidedvvithA trip devices and opposit-clv facing' beveled gears for driving the same: a driving shaft for the ribbon mechanism with a loose connection to the hub of a dri-v-l "ing wheel driven by the lspring` drum of a typewriter; a beveled reverse gear fixed on sald shaft for engaging the opposed beveled gears of the ribbon mechanism; a pivotedarm supporting the front of said shaft; a ratchet wheel fixed on said shaft in prox- 4unity to the said beveledv reverse gear; a

bifurcated pawl with oppositely-fa-ced teethvembracing the said gear and adapted to .stand in a neutralposition and be'thrown.

bar connected to said arm and disposed across the typewriter with engaging portions at opposite ends thereof; a support .ing link parallel with the arm on said pawL whereby the said bar will hav'e a horizontal parallel movement; and means for engaging the said bar'to shift the reversing pawl from side to side 'with 'connection to the trip mechanism for said ribbon spools; coacting lfor the purpose specified. l

8. In a ribbon mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination of 'suitable vertical ribbon shafts with ribbon spools provided with trip devices and oppositelyfacing beveled gears for driving the same; adriving shaft lfor the ribbon mechanism with a. loose connection to the hub of a driv! ing wheel driven by the'spring drum of a typewriter; a beveled reverse gear fixed on said shaft for engaging the opposed beveled gears of the ribbon mechanism; a. pivoted arm supporting the front of said shaft; a ratchet' Wheel fixed on said shaft; a bifurcated pawl with oppositely-faced teeth embracing the said gear and adapted to stand in a neutralposition and be thrown from ,side to side t0 engage the same; a spring for holding said pawl in its neutral disengaged position; an arm on said pawl extending laterally therefrom; a transverse bar connected to said arm and disposed as described,

Inwitness whereof, I have hereunto set across the' typewriter with -engaging portions at opposite ends thereof.; a support- 'versing a .typewriter ribbon, the combinai tion of .a .transverse detachable frame bar for securing the' same-to the frame of a typewriter: bearing brackets on said bar; vertical ribbon shafts therein; gears carried by said bar for driving the same; a

shifting arm supported on said bar; a,

swinging shaft carried by said' arm; a reversing gear carried on said shaft; means to automatically shift said gear; vert-ical rock shafts supported on said frame bar;

and trip devices on 4said rock shaft arranged to cooperate with t-he ribbon spools, all constituting a unitary ribbon driving and reversing' pose specified.

` 10. In a mechanism for driving and reversing atypewriter ribbon, the combination o-f a detachable' auxiliary frame structure for said ribbon device; ribbon shafts supported thereon; gears ,for driving the same; a reversing gear mechanism carried thereby; and trip I devices carried by the said .auxiliary frame for reversing the said gear mechanism, all coacting substantially my .hand and seal in the vpresence of two Witnesses. 'WILLIAM R. FOX. [L 5.1

' W'itnesses: i

LEXA CHURCH,

VISA DURHAM.

means, jcoacting for the pur- 

